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[Galagraphia]

I still prefer my tortured Cullen. There's something in those wrinkles and racoon eyes... I like that he's wearing his story on his face (that's why I also gave him a scar).

Oooh, the top. Hyberbali's picture with explanation why Cullen looks so pale:

He really should stop taking lyrium. I hope he will.

Modifié par Galagraphia, 26 septembre 2011 - 04:14 .

[Avilia]

@Gala I love Bali's Cullen!

I hope he stops taking lyrium too. If we see him in DA3 that may be dealt with - I hope it is anyway.

[Galagraphia]

I think David Gaider said something about lyrium addiction. That it was difficult to develop, and they cut it out.
But lyrium addiction together with faith crises would make Cullen a really angsty character. Good for angsty doomed love stories.Though I would rather not focus on that, I'm sick of angst. I would be ok with Cullen being a bit paranoid, like Carth Onasi. And with some rivalry, like with Carver: "I know what to do, why don't you ever ask for my opinion? I have good ideas, and you ignore them!" And it would be great if Cullen could question your competence, like Sten, and even confront you, if you are doing it all wrong. I like rivalry, when it's productive, not like "I hate everything about you, but I have a major role in the final quest, so I'll stick around".

[Avilia]

Friction, instead of angst, that's my preference.  "I don't agree with what you're doing and here's why."  A proper bit of argument.  A clash of ideologies.  I'd like a nice argument that actually resolved something.  But I suppose that's me being fanciful. (Bah now I'm wondering if I'm forgetting an argument in DA2 somewhere.  Oh well if I am apologies.)

Ideally I'd like the lyrium as a past issue - resolved (either way).  I think there would be enough meat in the story without it.  What does Cullen do without the Templars/with the Templars - which side would he take in the war?  How have the events in the Gallows affected him?  Did those Templars who arrived later arrest him for letting the mage siding Hawke go free?  What happened if Hawke was named Viscount?

There's so much left to the story to tell imho - its a shame we're getting bitty DLC's and nothing meaty as yet.

Hmm, that's a bit rambly.  I shouldn't post while watching Sherlock.  I think I'm picking up being verbose and overanalytical, but not as clever I'm sure. 

(If you haven't seen it btw do so!  I missed it on telly and bought the dvds.  Its pure genius.)

Modifié par Avilia, 26 septembre 2011 - 10:27 .

[R2s Muse]

@Gala, I like that idea for a slightly overbearing Cullen in DA3. That's one of the things I like most in DA2 is Takin' Care of Business Cullen, who's in charge. Since DA3 PC will again have to be a level one green horn, I could see him taking a slightly paternal, "I know better than you" kind of attitude. And, she/he has to earn his respect. Ah, that plus a crisis of faith, would make for a very interesting character.

I do wonder what would happen with his lyrium supply tho, if he's out and about in the world. But I suppose they could address that with a short convo about how he just has to find it illicitly now. No angst, just... another hassle. Subplot when a lyrium smuggler double crosses him? Oh, and here's that DG post about lyrium addiction. That sure would have been interesting... if complicated.

And, love that Bali cartoon. It's like he either has a tortured past... or just drank too much the night before. LOL
edit: just saw her new ask jeanne amell blog. awesome!

Modifié par R2s Muse, 26 septembre 2011 - 10:50 .

[R2s Muse]

@Avilia, your first line sent my mind somewhere... inappropriate. Friction, indeed. LOL

OH, and agree, there's so much to 'resolve' for Cullen, he doesn't necessarily need more...

Modifié par R2s Muse, 26 septembre 2011 - 10:53 .

[Avilia]

Concept art Alistair - perfect.

I'd love that.  Not having everyone around the pc just accept they're 'teh epic' but make them prove it.  I think the problem is player ego.  iirc one of the reasons they dropped the original concept for Alistair was the need for the pc to be in charge.  So they changed Alistair to be who he was in the finished game.  Sweet and lovely but not a leader, not wanting to lead, ready to let a newer recruit lead instead of very rightly pointing out that he was in a better position to be in charge.

It would be lovely though.  Someone to say 'riiiiight, you're in charge of this lot?  You're what, 12?" but not in a whiny complaining way, in a Kylon kind of way. 

Okay I'm going away now, I think I've rambled enough for one night.

Modifié par Avilia, 26 septembre 2011 - 11:02 .

[Avilia]

@R2 hehe friction...*cough* My post above is in reply to yours btw. Slightly controversial but not too I hope.

[R2s Muse]

Avilia wrote...

Concept art Alistair - perfect.

I'd love that.  Not having everyone around the pc just accept they're 'teh epic' but make them prove it.  I think the problem is player ego.  iirc one of the reasons they dropped the original concept for Alistair was the need for the pc to be in charge.  So they changed Alistair to be who he was in the finished game.  Sweet and lovely but not a leader, not wanting to lead, ready to let a newer recruit lead instead of very rightly pointing out that he was in a better position to be in charge.

It would be lovely though.  Someone to say 'riiiiight, you're in charge of this lot?  You're what, 12?" but not in a whiny complaining way, in a Kylon kind of way. 

Okay I'm going away now, I think I've rambled enough for one night.

Oh gosh, I didn't know that about Alistair's evolution, but that makes perfect sense that it would be an issue. I could totally see that, for Cullen, it could be a sort of... chain of command thing. He has to follow the new PC for some "follow the rules" sort of reason, but doesn't like it. That would be awesome.

And, heh, friction. Sorry my mind went there. I'm trying to write my first hook up scene in my fic... so I think it's on my mind. Too much, since I totally suck at it... and am considering a "fade to black" solution. Ack.

[rak72]

Galagraphia wrote...

I still prefer my tortured Cullen. There's something in those wrinkles and racoon eyes... I like that he's wearing his story on his face (that's why I also gave him a scar).

Oooh, the top. Hyberbali's picture with explanation why Cullen looks so pale:

He really should stop taking lyrium. I hope he will.

Yea, I like the eye circles too.  I wish we had a toolset so the skin textures could be blended.  I think a scar is sexy too.  I made my DAO morph for him with a scrar, but I didn't upload that one on Nexus - I wasn't sure how the general population would feel about the scar. 

Thanks for the askjeanne link, R2.  That was cute (lol - face in the pudge)

[Sialater]

R2s Muse wrote...

Avilia wrote...

Concept art Alistair - perfect.

I'd love that.  Not having everyone around the pc just accept they're 'teh epic' but make them prove it.  I think the problem is player ego.  iirc one of the reasons they dropped the original concept for Alistair was the need for the pc to be in charge.  So they changed Alistair to be who he was in the finished game.  Sweet and lovely but not a leader, not wanting to lead, ready to let a newer recruit lead instead of very rightly pointing out that he was in a better position to be in charge.

It would be lovely though.  Someone to say 'riiiiight, you're in charge of this lot?  You're what, 12?" but not in a whiny complaining way, in a Kylon kind of way. 

Okay I'm going away now, I think I've rambled enough for one night.

Oh gosh, I didn't know that about Alistair's evolution, but that makes perfect sense that it would be an issue. I could totally see that, for Cullen, it could be a sort of... chain of command thing. He has to follow the new PC for some "follow the rules" sort of reason, but doesn't like it. That would be awesome.

And, heh, friction. Sorry my mind went there. I'm trying to write my first hook up scene in my fic... so I think it's on my mind. Too much, since I totally suck at it... and am considering a "fade to black" solution. Ack.

Nothing wrong with fade-to-blacks. 

[R2s Muse]

Thanks, Sia. That was starting to feel like the cop-out solution, as I struggle to stretch those newbie writing muscles. But, sometimes it must also be the best solution... right?

[Sialater]

Yep. I've used them.

The hottest thing I've ever written, the characters were fully clothed.

Modifié par Sialater, 26 septembre 2011 - 07:41 .

[Schratty]

rak72 wrote...

Yea, I like the eye circles too.  I wish we had a toolset so the skin textures could be blended.  I think a scar is sexy too. 

Rak, you can blend skins in DA2 without the toolset. It takes a little more time as you obviously can't see how the blend looks until you've imported the .mor/.mop into the game. But, it is doable...just like Cullen. >.> <.<

[rak72]

^^ argh - that sounds like a major pain in the butt.

[Bekkael]

Mayorin wrote...

Fangirl had lunch with David Gaider and he shared some info with her: skyelinepigeon.tumblr.com/post/10530097095/some-interesting-details-on-dragon-age-from-david

Cullen - I asked about Cullen’s backstory, but Gaider really didn’t have much to say other than “he’s a native Fereldan.” Jordan, his friend with him on the trip, didn’t even know who I was talking about, and Gaider seemed a little surprised when I told him how much the fandom has latched onto him. I really think he’s got no clue how much we all love him! But while he didn’t say much about Cullen’s history, we did talk about how we admired his personality and how reasonable he was. Also, good news—he mentioned an interest in maybe revisiting Cullen!! He described Cullen as someone who has had his good faith broken twice—once by the mages in the circle, who he trusted, and then by Meredith, who he also trusted. Gaider expects “angst” in his future, which we may see in the series. I hope so!

 

I'm scared now, although when does Gaider not do angst?? Some angst is fine, but lack of a happy ending for Cullen would make me very sad.

I'm hoping the new DLC will give me more motivation to write DA. I'm kinda lacking and slacking right now.

*waves at everyone*

[CulturalGeekGirl]

Right now Cullen and Angst makes perfect sense, especially because they can't make any of the existing ships canon. So if there's gonna be any help for him, it's not something he's getting between DA2 and DA3.

Someone mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: Cullen trusted the mages and thought that the Templars were being too hard on them, but that trust was betrayed in the worst possible way. Because of this, he doubled down on the Chantry and the Order: surely they must be worthy of his trust. Turns out, nope. By the end of the game, I think that Cullen realizes that not only did Meredith turn into an evil madwoman, her entire reign was pretty much all about violating the fundamental purpose of the order, as Cullen sees it: the protection of everyone.

So now Cullen has a problem. He still has the same goal (must. protect. everyone.) but he's lost confidence in any of the structures he believed would uphold it. Letting the mages do whatever they want didn't work, but neither did cracking down on them mercilessly... and the Chantry and the Order can't be trusted to preserve the balance (if a balance is even possible.) Everything Cullen thought he knew about everything is up in the air now. Nothing is safe, nobody can be trusted, and there's nobody who can tell him what to do. For the first time in his life, Cullen has to think and act absolutely for himself, there is nothing reassuring to turn to.

Now, there is an easy solution to the "what to do about mages?" issue, and I have it in a convenient package: a nice clean secular order of mages and mage-allies, who monitor mages and seek out young mages for training, but largely allow them their freedom. Of course this is Thedas, and nothing is ever easy. Really, nothing in politics, real or fictional, is ever about actually coming up with the best solution to a given problem (possible exception: Discworld and Vetinari. But other than that, no). There are always going to be the people in power, and the people in power care more about staying in power than they care about the greater good - the Chantry's actions have shown it to be more concerned with maintaining its power base than actually helping. That's another lesson Cullen is going to probably have to learn, and he's going to have to learn it while coated in the blood of his brothers, his wards, and other people who just wanted to do what was best for everyone.

And every loss of every mage or templar is a personal failure, because he's failed at his sole mission in life, his sole purpose: protect everyone. And if he can't even do that properly, what use was it for him to give up on his own happiness? He's given up everything he could have ever wanted because he believed it was his duty to live his life solely to serve the maker and protect others. If he can't do that, what is he? Can he do that without the order? How?

Add in some potential lyrium withdrawal, a second loss of what had become his home, and absolutely nobody to turn to? Yeah, I think there's the potential for some angst there.

Modifié par CulturalGeekGirl, 27 septembre 2011 - 03:38 .

[rak72]

Nicely put, CGG ^

He has all the right ingredients for becoming a lone wolf/vigilante/superhero:

http://t0.gstatic.co...leqdAi0M9rLCloQ

(sorry, I watched Castle last night)

Modifié par rak72, 27 septembre 2011 - 01:35 .

[R2s Muse]

CulturalGeekGirl wrote...

Someone mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: Cullen trusted the mages and thought that the Templars were being too hard on them, but that trust was betrayed in the worst possible way. Because of this, he doubled down on the Chantry and the Order: surely they must be worthy of his trust. Turns out, nope. By the end of the game, I think that Cullen realizes that not only did Meredith turn into an evil madwoman, her entire reign was pretty much all about violating the fundamental purpose of the order, as Cullen sees it: the protection of everyone.

Totally agree, CGG. As usual, you've eloquently summed up my exact feeling on where Cullen is, post-Act3. I quoted just the above part, because I particularly like how you described his trust in the Kirkwall Circle. I'd been thinking the same, that he trusted one model of the Circle, which didn't work out, so then moved on to another, which didn't work either. I hadn't thought about how he would likely be even more invested in the new one given his previous betrayal (your doubling down notion). Which presumably would make his tumbling house of cards even more difficult to manage. Definitely angst-worthy!

@Rak .. Is there a Captain Awesome in Castle? Despite being a Nathan Fillion fan, I still have yet to watch it! I usually think of Captain Awesome from Chuck on NBC (the actor for whom, incidentally, I think wouldn't make a bad Cullen). Hmm... coincidence?  


And, vigiliante superhero.... hmmm, like that idea.

@Bekkael, *waves*

[rak72]

@ R2 - On last nights Castle, there was a super hero vigilante going around killing people. The way Castle described the reasons people become superheros reminded me of CGG's description. I just took the Cptn Awesome pic from a few pages back - I think it's a good name for Cullen's alter ego superhero.
If you like Nathan Fillion, you should defiantly check out Castle - it's a really good show.

Edit - Holy Smite would also be a good superhero name for him

Modifié par rak72, 27 septembre 2011 - 03:08 .

[R2s Muse]

@Rak - Holy Smite! Outstanding! LOL

Thanks! I've heard I should check out Castle... Guess I need to track down those DVDs.

[Drone696]

So... I felt the sudden urge to defend Cullen earlier - does that make me a fangirl?
Seriously though, he's really growing on me!

And two questions:
1) Who wrote him?
and do we kow
2) Who decided on his "promotion"?

[Avilia]

@rapunzel - not at all ;-)

I think I know which thread you are referring to. People like the 'creepy Cullen' idea I think and as David Gaider perpetuated it its set in stone now.

1. Jennifer Hepler I think (not sure)

2. Ditto probably - but am not sure on that one. Possibly they wanted a Templar from outside Kirkwall? Or just a Templar that people knew from Origins? Or possibly they thought his back story made him an interesting choice for that part (do they think of 'parts' before putting characters in them like in a movie?)

Hmm, I wasn't very help at all was I? ;-)

[Bekkael]

rapunzel696 wrote...

So... I felt the sudden urge to defend Cullen earlier - does that make me a fangirl?
Seriously though, he's really growing on me!

And two questions:
1) Who wrote him?
and do we kow
2) Who decided on his "promotion"?

Welcome to the Cullen fangirl ranks! *salutes*

I know Jennifer Hepler wrote him, as to who promoted him....? I'm uncertain how that decision was made and who made it, but I bet it had something to do with the fan love he got from DA:O. Which is why we are doing our best to love on him now with hopes toward a future DA game. If they made him a companion or DLC that would be awesome.

EDIT: 'd by Avilia LOL!

Modifié par Bekkael, 27 septembre 2011 - 11:36 .

[R2s Muse]

rapunzel696 wrote...

So... I felt the sudden urge to defend Cullen earlier - does that make me a fangirl?
Seriously though, he's really growing on me!

And two questions:
1) Who wrote him?
and do we kow
2) Who decided on his "promotion"?

Heh heh, I don't think you have to be a fangirl to like Cullen, it's only natural... but then, I'm biased. LOL :devil:Welcome to the club!

In answer to your question, I believe:
1. Sheryl Chee (DA:O) and Jennifer Hepler (DA2)
2. Do you mean his promotion through the Kirkwall Templar ranks to Knight-Captain? I believe Meredith, since it says in his codex that she thought highly of him, and his supposed views, and so he rose quickly through the ranks. It also says Greagoir sent him to Kirkwall.

EDIT: doh, ninja'd -- guess that's what happens when you get interrupted mid-post! Altho, d'oh, looks like I totally interpreted your question differently. Has the Cullen hate thread gotten active again? *sigh*

Modifié par R2s Muse, 27 septembre 2011 - 11:41 .